The Night Train, A Reckless Ride

Off to Sapa

Jordan, Graham and I left the apartment and climbed into a taxi around 8:15pm. With train tickets in hand, back packs on our backs, we were off on a GREAT ADVENTURE!

From the back seat of the taxi we got a glimpse of Hanoi at night,...motorbikes everywhere, people on street corners, young and old alike. The city was alive and we were in the midst of the activity. 

Passengers waiting outside the train station.

Upon arriving to the train station we encountered our first hurdle..."Where do we go?" If you've traveled overseas, you know most airports are equipped with good signage (with English translation),...not so in the Hanoi train station. We had our tickets with specific instructions, but nothing on the signs seemed to match our tickets. After wandering around, then asking a couple of employees (who were no help), Jordan lucked up on a British couple who were heading to our train, they said "follow us", so we did. 


As we crossed the multitude of tracks, I couldn't help but notice that the train yard was very busy with people boarding and those disembarking from the arriving train. Men, women, children, trekkers, luggage, plastic bags filled with food, employees with carts, trash in piles,..and did I mention noisy?

So we, the Westerners, boarded the Sapa bound train and found our cabin a few feet down the narrow corridor. A very small space with 4 bunks. A strange man was lying in one of the bunks, I almost gasped. (Jama, you're not in Tennessee, anymore.) Oh boy, here we go. We all greeted him then began settling in for a hopeful night of peaceful slumber. I decided to sleep with my purse and camera up beside my head. Ok, maybe alittle paranoid,...better safe than sorry.


Sidebar: Did I mention there was a problem with our tickets post booking, something about maintenance of the train? They notified Michelle of the problem, apologized and bumped us up to first class for free! So, what does one get in first class? A warm cookie, glass of champagne,...? No, CLEAN SHEETS and FREE Hot Water! 

Good Morning, Sunshine

Sleeping on a train? I have never slept on a train. I'm  a pretty good sleeper but sleep did not come easy for this ole gal. Between the rail noises, the fluctuation of cabin temperature and the train movement I was ready to see the sun rise. Around 5AM mother nature began to call and I regretted drinking the complimentary bottle of water. The others were sleeping, so I decided to go find the "WC" (restroom). My face was oily, my teeth were gritty and my humidity-affected curly hair was out-of-control. So I put on my shoes, wrangled my hair, grabbed my toothbrush and off I went. I opened the loud door, stepped out into the narrow corridor and began moving towards what I hoped would be the WC. I knew immediately this was a bad idea. The movement of the train, coupled with the close proximity of the space, my inner ear began to send signals to my brain..."abort, abort." So, I returned to my cabin feeling frustrated.

The train pulled into the station. We quickly gathered our things and headed to the gate where we met our transportation to Sapa. Our van driver, Mr. Not-so-Happy was very abrupt, not very welcoming, but agreed to let me find the restroom. So, Graham and I made a bee-line to the station. To avoid the massive crowd of arriving passengers and taxi drivers we went into the deserted area of the station (reserved for departures). We were surprised to find a man positioned outside the restroom door wanting 4000 vnd. Oh good grief,...I gave him the money and took off. And what did I find?...a squat toilet. (Michelle had forewarned me.) Let's just say it was interesting....(Sorry, no photo.)

On to Sapa
When G and I returned to the van, it was evident they were waiting on us. After the remaining bags were loaded, we were off. Sapa was an hours drive--and what a ride it was. The roads were in good condition but as crooked and winding as they come. I'd never ridden up a mountain at such a high rate of speed or with such wild abandon. Mr. Not-so-Happy passed large trucks, tourist vans, water buffalo, motorbikes, walking villagers,...on hair pin turns with zero visibility. He even bumped a motorbike. He was "king of the road" and he wanted everyone to know it. It was frightening, some of the worst driving I've ever witnessed. I fluctuated between being nauseous, angry and afraid.

I was happy to arrive at our hotel, The Cat Cat View in one piece. I was not pleased to pay him for his services. (Later I complained to the hotel management, requesting a different driver for our return.)

SAPA

One of the many beautiful Sapa streets

Sapa is located in Vietnam's remote Hoang Lien Son mountains, near the Chinese border. Sapa is famous for both its fine, rugged scenery and also its rich cultural diversity. Sapa and its surrounding area is host to many hill tribes, as well as rice terraces and lush vegetation. However, as a result of a recent surge in popularity Sapa resembles a mini Gatlinburg.

The Cat Cat View Hotel
The Cat Cat View is a Vietnamese family-run hotel perched on side of a hill along side many shops, eateries and hotels on one of the many winding streets in Sapa. The Cat Cat is not a fancy hotel. There's no heat or air conditioning in the rooms. The showers are a nozzle in the corner of the bathroom. (Watch where you put your clothes or they'll get wet.) The towels are thin and practically useless.

View from the Cat Cat Restaurant

However, the Hotel is managed and run by a delightful Vietnamese family, a multi-generational family.  The family lives on the 6th floor. The hotel restaurant uses only fresh fruits and vegetables they raise in their own hotel garden (on the 6th floor). Everyone was so nice and accommodating. It was a special treat to watch this family interact, especially with their 3 young children.

So much for the view...

After a sleepless night on the train and a harrowing ride up the mountain, we decided to have a little breakfast and then rest. Our rooms were clean and offered a nice view.  For dinner we sought out a little restaurant down the street. The weather had turned, the mountains had disappeared behind the clouds. As we ate the fog rolled in,...actually rolling into the restaurant through the open windows. We began to wonder about the weather for the next morning... 

Tomorrow our adventure continues,...our Hmong guide, one of the Sapa Sisters, Lan will arrive at 9AM. Rain or shine,...we will be "on the move".

www.sapasisters.webs.com

The day ended with one of our favorites..

MAI CHAU - 3

Hung met us right after breakfast. We grabbed our water and headed to the White Thai village. The sun was up and the humidity was rising, it was going to be a hot one. 

The villagers were busy in the rice fields, harvesting their crop. Hung explained the people work from sun up to sundown, which makes for a very long and hot day.

The White Thai people live in stilt houses. They usually use the area underneath their home to store goods or to keep livestock. This particular home was advertised as a "home stay", available for overnight guests/tourists. Note the satellite dishes to the right.

Their floors are made of bamboo.

                                               The White Thai women are known for their beautiful weaving.

While walking through the village we stopped for a snack,...sticky rice. Hung showed us how to peal the bamboo, then a villager helped us cut the banana leaves. It was worth the wait...

Sticky rice dipped in crushed peanuts...yum.

Graham doing some shopping...

Just as in other places in Vietnam, motorbikes are the main source of transportation. This village was no different. As we were moving about the village, we heard a roar which was different from those we had grown accustomed...we turned to see. Five motorcycles came roaring past. Hung immediately said, "from Hanoi!"...which I translated as meaning "city slickers".

As we walked through the village, we noticed a group of young people ahead of us. As we approached, two of the girls grabbed Michelle, pulled her to the side and took a photo, all giggling and excitedly conversing... 

then they grabbed Graham,...

More of the same group at the local outdoor pool hall.

There were many young people with this group,..male and female,..alot of teenage synergy. Evidently they were from other tribes in Vietnam,..very excited to be photographed with Americans or Westerners. 

While strolling through the remainder of the village, both Michelle and Hung commented on the emptiness of the village, very few women selling their tapestries or food. Hung explained everyone was working in the fields to harvest the rice. While the parents work, the children are cared for by their grandparents or older siblings.

Heading back to Mai Chau 

After returning to the Lodge Graham and Jordan accompanied Hung to the Mo Luong Cave. During the war soldiers hid their weapons in the cave. The cave has been a place of special significance for the Thai people for many years.

Before leaving Mai Chau we had lunch in the Lodge. Our meals had been generally good. Each meal's menu was pre-set, which made it challenging for Brooks, who is vegetarian. They often offered her a substitute which was interesting. For lunch she was served a soup which appeared to be a cool raspberry, unfortunately it was a warm beet mixture. At dinner she was served french fries covered in chopped egg.

For lunch they served a salad that immediately caused a reaction from Michelle. (She had tried the salad before.) After tasting it, I understood why. The green lettuce/leaves were some

Watermelon Sweet Tea

type of mint. The chicken and the dressing were both flavorful, but the rest of the salad tasted like toothpaste. Strange, very strange. Our dessert was called "watermelon sweet tea". 

We enjoyed our time in Mai Chau. Thank you Mai Chau Lodge for the hospitality and Hung for paving the way for a  great adventure.

The Valley of Mai Chau 

Rice Paddies - The brown areas have already been harvested.

Mai Chau - 2

If you've read the previous blog, you know that our afternoon bike ride in Mai Chau was quite the adventure. If you haven't read it,..please do.

I had hoped our ride would be relaxing, as well as scenic. The clouds had rolled in, thunder was rumbling behind the mountain, a slight breeze was in the air. An ideal opportunity for some nice photos, maybe a lush green field of rice with majestic mountains and perhaps a villager or two.

Men of the village separating the rice after harvest

Elder villager watching the rice separation

As we rode through the villages, the faces and sounds of children were hard to miss. Children of all ages  running, playing, walking, riding bikes,...I said to Hung, our guide, "How many children live in this village?" He replied, "Too many..." The kids were all very friendly practicing their "hellloooooo".

After an exciting afternoon it was nice to have quiet dinner at the lodge. 

..topped off with chocolate mousse dessert!

After dinner we were entertained by a group of young Vietnamese dancers from one of the ethnic minority villages. At the end of the performance they invited members of the audience up to join in the festivities.

A good day at Mai Chau, Vietnam.